The very first time I listened to a podcast was five years ago. I was browsing through iTunes, looking up wrestling terms, and CM Punk popped up in the search results. But attached to CM Punk’s name was The Art of Wrestling with Colt Cabana. Curious, I clicked on it and saw a picture of Colt Cabana in a Ring of Honor black tee in front of a library background. [click here] So I clicked play expecting the traditional 30 second clip as it was customary with every song on iTunes. But much to my surprise, it continued well past the 30 second mark and went on for about an hour of audio. After listening to Punk, and remember, this was way before the infamous pipe-bomb, I wanted more. So I went back to the first episode (Punk’s was episode 2) and I listened to SonjayDutt. And before I knew it, I was subscribed and have listened to every episode since.

That was my first introduction into the now over-saturated world of pro wrestling podcasts. Colt’s was the first of its kind and still hold it with high regard. Listening to Punk before he became a megastar; to Claudio Castagnoli (Cesaro), Chris Hero (Kassius Ohno), Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards while they still wrestled for Ring of Honor; to Samoa Joe while he was wrestling for TNA; to Bryan Danielson (Daniel Bryan) before being signed to WWE; to Sara Del Rey before she became the trainer for the women wrestlers over at the WWE Performance Center; and to Kevin Steen, listening to his insecurities about the wrestling business long before signing with WWE as Kevin Owens.

Colt Cabana always states at the intro that the Art of Wrestling Podcast is a life podcast, a personal journey into the hearts and souls of these wrestlers. Basically these stories have entertained me and made me feel a close bond with my favorite wrestlers. It has also helped me get to know new wrestlers that I wasn’t familiar with. Then I go back and think, where have I heard of this guy before? And after 5 years and counting, the answer is most likely from the Art of Wrestling Podcast.

One of my goals as a wrestling fan is to travel to Glasgow or Edinburg and attend a live Art of Wrestling Podcast among the Scotts. If you ever take the time to listen to the live shows, it sounds like so much fun and definitely an experience worth having.

But among my love of AOW, I have ventured out and accepted other podcasts. Some I’ve dropped, and others I continue to be faithful. ::Glass Shatters:: When I heard that Stone Cold Steve “Mutha F%@$” Austin was starting up his own can of audio whoopass known as The Steve Austin Show, how could you say no to the Rattlesnake? That’s not to say that there haven’t been some episodes that were chicken sh-t that he tried making into chicken salad, but sometimes it is what it is. I’ve loved his recent interviews with Razor Ramon, Diamond Dallas Page, and Jake “The Snake” Roberts. I’ve also loved his series of episodes talking to Paul Heyman. And let’s not forget that his success on PodcastOne.com and his legendary status in WWE also launched the very first live video podcast on the WWE Network, with the first guest being none other than Vince McMahon. He’s gone on to have his WWE special with Triple H, Paul Heyman, Paige, Edge & Christian, and soon enough… Brock Lesnar.

I always get a kick out of those live Stone Cold Podcast episodes, but another wrestler turned podcaster who I thoroughly enjoy is Chris Jericho on Talk is Jericho. What I love about TIJ is that Jericho is a natural entertainer and it translates beautifully on audio. Plus, he–like Colt–goes out of his way to have sit-down interviews with his guests. And it’s not just wrestling guests, it’s music guests, conspiracy and paranormal theorists, TV actors, movie directors, porn stars! (By the way, Stormy Daniels… awesome!) The list goes on and on with the diversity of the guests he has on his show. Talk is Jericho is not just another wrestling podcast, it’s an entertainment podcast diving into all walks of entertainment.

Those are my top three wrestling podcasts that I listen to religiously. But I do often lend an ear to The Ross Report with Jim Ross and WOOOOO! Nation with “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair for the sole reason that I respect the hell out of those two. I would listen to every episode, but I only have so many hours in a day. But give those guys a listen as well, great stuff.

And if by chance you don’t know how to listen to these great podcasts, subscribe and download them off iTunes if you have an iPhone, or if you are like me and have sided with the force known as Samsung Galaxy, the Podcast Addict app has been awesome with all episodes streaming seamlessly.

How about you? Which podcast do you love listening to? And it doesn’t have to be a podcast about wrestling. Just share your likes and dislikes in the comment section below!

Or if you just want to hit me up, you can do so on the twitter @WrestlingTimesX or follow my interests and journey to a healthier fit lifestyle on my instagram @losfriday!

Also, make sure to like this post and share it. The more people who like it and share it, the more likely I’ll continue to rant about wrestling!

The rumor mill has been running rampant this week following Kevin Owens’ recent loss to John Cena at WWE Battleground. According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, some decision makers in WWE don’t want Owens to succeed because they don’t see him in the caliber of Cena, Randy Orton or Seth Rollins. And to further fuel this rumor, Owens was used as one of the locker room members sent to break up the brawl between Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker on Monday Night RAW. But these are just rumors and the concept of WWE thinkers not believing in Kevin Owens is not a concept I want to get behind.

Because if WWE truly wanted to bury Kevin Owens, then he would have been the fall guy on Monday’s main event against Cena, Orton and Cesaro. Instead, Owens abandoned Rusev in the middle of the match, who was too busy with Summer Rae, and walked out unpinned. And as far as the locker room brawl, Triple H, himself, was among the people trying to subdue Brock and Taker. It just added to the concept of how monumental SummerSlam’s main event is. Because this is not just any match, this is a WrestleMania rematch to vindicate The Streak. So I wouldn’t consider Kevin Owens a jobber just yet.

Then there’s the co main event that WWE teased on Monday Night RAW when John Cena challenged the integrity of Seth Rollins. John Cena wouldn’t have much of a case if he himself wasn’t still the United States champion. And let’s not forget that the purpose of John Cena winning the United States championship at WrestleMania was to bring prestige back to the US Title. The purpose of Owens vs Cena was to showcase a new threat in WWE.

Kevin Owens is a unique talent because although he’s been brought up to the main roster, he still has a foot in NXT. Samoa Joe has been itching to have a one-on-one match with Owens to see who truly is the best big man. A recovering Sami Zayn vowed to get his hands on his former best friend when he returns to the ring in 2016. And then there’s the new NXT champion Finn Balor, who will defend the championship in a rematch at NXT Takeover in Brooklyn–which I will be attending! So although his program with Cena might have ended (for now) there are still plenty of feuds left for Kevin Owens in NXT.

The Immortal Hulk Hogan praised Kevin Owens in a recent interview with Rolling Stone, stating that Owens made him a believer again. “He caught me with my guard down and he made me a believer again, he hooked me. He’s got that look, man; that demeanor and that swagger.”

And it’s no secret that Steve Austin has been impressed by Owens after stumbling upon his “Top Moves” on YouTube (video below). He’s spoken about him on his podcast–The Steve Austin Show on Podcastone.com–prior to Owens signing to the WWE, and even had Owens on his podcast as a guest.

Kevin Owens brings a believability to the table that no one else does. When you listen to Kevin Owens talk, he comes off as this brash, smug son of a b*tch that you want to fight, but might get beat up by. He’s definitely one of the best heels that WWE has right now, and one of the best opponents, I truly believe, John Cena has had in a long time, because he’s the anti-Cena. To borrow a line from The Flash “The Man in the Yellow Suit”, some would call him the reverse.

Don’t forget to like the post, share it, and subscribe! Links are available on the right hand column.

About the blogger: I love pro wrestling and all of its layers of athleticism and entertainment. I also love to read and write, which is why, hopefully, WrestlingTimesX will come across as different, in a better way, than anything else that you read on the web. My mantra on wrestling, in any state, is to love it then, now, and forever.

Since elevating the visibility of the United States Championship, John Cena has had a number of fantastic matches. And yet, out of these challenges, future main eventers are being revealed.

John Cena’s first challenger Dean Ambrose actually held the WWE World Heavyweight championship for a number of weeks after defeating Seth Rollins. Of course that match was won via disqualification. And by held, I mean that Ambrose held the belt hostage. But the insane crowd reaction from Corpus Christi when they thought Ambrose won the WWE championship is a testament that he’s already at that main event level.

Then there’s Sami Zayn, the very first talent still contracted under NXT. Despite having the home field advantage, and the introduction by WWE Hall Of Famer Bret “The Hitman” Hart, unfortunately for the former NXT champion, he suffered from a tweaked shoulder, which he is still recovering from. Yet, Zayn put on a killer performance and generated quite a buzz in the WWE Universe. So when he does come back, brace yourselves for a more focused Sami Zayn. More focused than he was against Kevin Owens.

Speaking of Kevin Owens… Although he does have two matches against Cena under his belt at 1-1, WWE Battleground will be the first time the United States championship will be on the line. And I can smell a new champion.

And let’s not forget one of John Cena’s greatest U.S. Challenge combatants to date, Neville. The Man that Gravity Forgot is not someone Cena is likely to forget anytime soon. Especially because Cena was seconds away from losing the title to Neville after he connected with the Red Arrow. However, it was a disqualification victory after Rusev interfered. Now, if Neville was able to go the distance with John Cena, his rise to the main event scene is only a matter of time.

And finally we had the “Swiss Superman” Cesaro making the most of the psychological warfare set up by Kevin Owens (Video Below). And while Brock Lesnar has taken his opponents through Suplex City, Cesaro took Cena through European Uppercut City! From a pop-up European Uppercut, a flying European Uppercut against the corner, to a flurry of European Uppercuts on a worn-down Cena, The Champ was dazed and confused. Cesaro even implemented the Sharp Shooter in honor of his Tag Team partner Tyson Kidd who’s recovering from neck surgery. But in similar fashion to what happened to Neville, Cesaro lost his opportunity on becoming a 2-time United States champion after Owens attacked him, claiming that if anyone was going to beat Cena for the US Title, it would be him.

Again, the John Cena U.S. Open Challenge has not just been about making the United States championship relevant, but about showcasing and revealing the future main event players in the WWE. And with guys like Dean Ambrose, Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, Neville and Cesaro, the future of the WWE is bright.

Don’t forget to like the post, share it, and subscribe! Links are available on the right hand column.

About the blogger: I love pro wrestling and all of its layers of athleticism and entertainment. I also love to read and write, which is why, hopefully, WrestlingTimesX will come across as different, in a better way, than anything else that you read on the web. My mantra on wrestling, in any state, is to love it then, now, and forever.

Shots were fired and promises were made as all hell broke loose on behalf of the WWE World Heavyweight championship. The Director of Operations Kane used the WWE Universe to vote Seth Rollins into defending his championship against Roman Reigns and Randy Orton at WWE Payback. If the odds weren’t bad enough, Kane then granted Dean Ambrose an opportunity to insert himself into the championship picture if he beat Rollins in his match. Lo and behold, Seth Rollins now has to survive his former Shield members and The Apex Predator in a Fatal 4-Way match. Who out of the four will walk out WWE Payback as the WWE World Heavyweight champion?

The smart money is on Seth Rollins because he is the Ultimate Opportunist. He managed to find a way to defeat Randy Orton inside a steel cage on a technicality at WWE Extreme Rules. Rollins attacked Orton with his own RKO, a move that Orton was banned from using as part of the stipulation. Underhanded and most certainly illegal, but Seth Rollins knows how to use circumstances in his favor. WWE Payback will be no different because he still has The Authority who can blatantly interfere without any consequences because there are no rules in a Fatal 4-Way match.

The dark horse is the “Lunatic Fringe” Dean Ambrose for sure. He went from a pay-per-view losing streak to competing for the Intercontinental championship at WrestleMania, and landed himself in the World championship picture. Was it based on pure ability or readiness? Or because Kane wanted to make Seth’s life a living hell? Whatever the reason, Ambrose has an opportunity to etch his name in the history books and to finally get his picture enshrined at WWE Headquarters–that’s if he still cares about the latter.

Randy Orton is the veteran in this match and has the most “big fight” experience out of all three competitors combined. He defeated John Cena to unify the WWE and World Heavyweight championships. He defeated Seth Rollins at WrestleMania just hours before he cashed in Money in the Bank. And most importantly of all, he has full use of the RKO to strike down his opponents out of nowhere.

Yet, out of the other challengers, Roman Reigns has the most animosity towards Seth Rollins. Roman Reigns won the Royal Rumble and defeated Daniel Bryan for the right to challenge Brock Lesnar for the World championship in the main event at WrestleMania. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity for Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins stole his WrestleMania moment. Reigns was curb stomped, along with his aspirations on becoming the World champion. Like he said in WWE 24: Roman Reigns Never Alone, he may never main event another WrestleMania.

Who do you believe will walk out WWE Payback as the WWE World Heavyweight Champion?

Don’t forget to like the post, share it, and subscribe! Links are available on the right hand column.

About the blogger: I love pro wrestling and all of its layers of athleticism and entertainment. I also love to read and write, which is why, hopefully, WrestlingTimesX will come across as different, in a better way, than anything else that you read on the web. My mantra on wrestling, in any state, is to love it then, now, and forever.

Out of the five exclusives promised on the WWE Network for this week, I was most excited for “The Return of the King of The Ring” (which you can read here), the second edition of Live with Chris Jericho feat. Stephanie McMahon, and the Mick Foley comedy special Cheap Pops. You could not ask for a better week to be a wrestling fan, with every night having something new to look forward to.

As talked about on a previous episode of Chris Jericho’s award-winning (in my mind) podcast Talk is Jericho, Jericho explains that the Live with Chris Jericho is a separate entity than his audio TIJ show. The #LiveJericho is simply an exclusive on the WWE Network and will never be made available in audio form. So if you want to hear Jericho’s talk with John Cena and Stephanie McMahon, they can only be viewed if you are a subscriber to the WWE Network. Call him an artist, call his a good company man, Chris Jericho is still the Best in the World at everything he does.

After listening to virtually every single episode of TIJ, even getting the distinct honor of being followed by the official twitter handle @TalkIsJericho, I took his conversation with Stephanie McMahon for what it was, a conversation. Much like you and your friends would have laying on the couch, tossing back a couple of cold ones. What many wrestling fans expect is not what Live with Chris Jericho, or even Talk Is Jericho, is about. They want Chris to bombard these WWE personnel with “hard-hitting” questions to unravel the fabric of kayfabe and time. They basically want a shoot-interview, and unfortunately my loyal readers, that’s not what podcasts are about.

Stephanie McMahon was great, she’s still very beautiful and such an awesome person. And the fact that her eight-year-old daughter has gotten some training from Natalya who says she has promise, is just pretty damn cool. She also talked about first starting out in the WWE working as a clerk, as a receptionist, and then interning in TV production. She went into when she first started dating Triple H and the trouble it caused. And so much more.

Live with Chris Jericho is definitely a must, and if you are a devote wrestling fan, then look no further than Cheap Pops. Mrs. Foley’s baby boy puts on a great comedy special, not to be confused with a stand-up comedy, which he explains in the show! He takes his viewers on an auto-biographical journey to explain why Brock Lesnar was the only man to break The Streak, and why it had to be him.

If you are a fan of his New York Times’ Best Seller “Have a Nice Day” then you are going to love Cheap Pops because the way he tells his stories is the way you would expect him to say it while reading his books. And for any other reason, he’s Mick Friggin’ Foley! There, I’ve sold you on watching Mick Foley’s Cheap Pops.

But seriously, Mick Foley had me laughing and smiling throughout, and made me happy to hear from the hardcore legend once again. And these comedy shows of his is his way of expressing himself creatively to all of us. What more could you want as a wrestling fan?

All three exclusives: KOTR, Live with Chris Jericho and Cheap Pops are available on demand on the WWE Network. Please let me know which specials you loved the most by commenting below or hitting me up on one of the many social networks listed below!

Don’t forget to like the post, share it, and subscribe! Links are available on the right hand column.

About the blogger: I love pro wrestling and all of its layers of athleticism and entertainment. I also love to read and write, which is why, hopefully, WrestlingTimesX will come across as different, in a better way, than anything else that you read on the web. My mantra on wrestling, in any state, is to love it then, now, and forever.

WrestlingTimesX proudly presents WTX Video Podcast, a wrestling video podcast that brings to you the best in podcasting, entertainment, controversy, critiquing and anything else.

We talk about the WWE Intercontinental and United States championships being elevated back to prominence, the Legends contracted for blockbuster WWE marquee matches, and the WWE character gimmicks that have stood the test of time.

“The Beast Incarnate” Brock Lesnar announced on ESPN’s Sportscenter on Tuesday that his MMA career was over and that he re-signed with the WWE to a multi-year contract. With this news breaking just days before WrestleMania, the outcome to the WWE World Heavyweight championship match no longer seems so predictable.

It was public knowledge that Brock hadn’t signed a new contract with the WWE, and that the Monday Night RAW after WrestleMania was scheduled to be his final appearance; which led to the easy speculation that Brock would drop the championship over to Roman Reigns, the winner of this year’s Royal Rumble match, and the apparent future main-event megastar.

This, of course, led to weeks of controversy amongst die-hard wrestling fans who didn’t want to see Reigns take on that position in the company. Although it does seem like the course WWE will eventually take because they do want to create a new megastar, which is why Brock defeated Undertaker at WrestleMania XXX, and why he dethroned John Cena out of the main event picture. But just because Roman may be fortunate enough to knock off Brock at the Showcase of the Immortals, it doesn’t mean that Brock’s accomplishments get automatically transferred over to the much inexperienced Roman Reigns.

Before Tuesday’s news, the plans slated Roman Reigns winning the WWE championship at WrestleMania, because as the time-honored wrestling tradition goes, you put over the talent on the way out. And if Brock hadn’t re-signed with the WWE, Brock would have done the favors for Reigns. But that isn’t the case anymore, is it?

Brock Lesnar is here to stay in the WWE, which means more of what we have seen in the past calendar year: limited appearances and hype-ups from his advocate Paul Heyman. Brock said on Sportscenter that his deal will consist of working part-time with full-time pay, which is the dream especially at his age in the world of pro-wrestling. And he’ll no longer be tight financially, he’ll be able to provide for his family, which is commendable.

With that said, don’t be surprised if Brock Lesnar, as Heyman alluded to for the past couple of weeks, retains his WWE championship at WrestleMania. And if Brock does conquer Roman Reigns–as he very well should–it would be interesting to see who on the current roster rises to the occasion and vanquishes the unconquerable?

Don’t forget to like the post, share it, and subscribe! Links are available on the right hand column.

About the blogger: I love pro wrestling and all of its layers of athleticism and entertainment. I also love to read and write, which is why, hopefully, WrestlingTimesX will come across as different, in a better way, than anything else that you read on the web. My mantra on wrestling, in any state, is to love it then, now, and forever.